The New York Times: Musicians on How to Bring Racial Equity to Auditions
Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times’s chief classical music critic, recently wrote an essay arguing that blind auditions — long seen as an equalizer in American orchestras — were no longer tenable. The screen had been transformative for gender representation, he said, but not for racial diversity.
Cultural Gumbo: An Interview with Titus Underwood
Before I got a principal oboe job, I had been auditioning for 10 years, and I had made it to the final round like, 15 or 16 times. I had been subbing in lots of different orchestras, playing guest principal, guest associate or whatever, so my perception of orchestral playing had changed drastically before I even got to the chair I hold now.
SPHINX MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE
The Sphinx Medal of Excellence is the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, recognizing extraordinary classical Black and Latinx musicians. Along with a $50,000 career grant, Sphinx annually awards the Medals of Excellence to three artists who, early in their career, demonstrate artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and an ongoing commitment to leadership and their communities.
Recommendations for Conductors from an Orchestral Musician
Orchestras as we know them are currently paused. While this has been a great challenge for organizations to navigate and sustain, this is a perfect time to reflect on what works and what needs improvement. Listed below are recommendations for orchestras to consider while taking advantage of this time for internal improvement.
INTERNATIONAL MUSICIAN
Titus Underwood, principal oboist in the Nashville Symphony, not only took up the #TakeTwoKnees challenge from his friend McGill, he also has created his own digital project called “Lift Every Voice.” That video, posted June 4, showcases nearly one dozen African American symphonic musicians from across the US performing a piece arranged by composer Fred Onovwerosuoke…
Episode 96: Titus Underwood
On this episode we discuss the approaching Thanksgiving holiday and what we're thankful for double-reed style. For our interview, we welcome Titus Underwood, Principal Oboe of the Nashville Symphony!
UpBeat from Everything Conducting
Titus Underwood, Principal Oboe of the Nashville Symphony, On Race and Music
Hosts John Devlin and Enrico Lopez-Yañez interview oboist Titus Underwood, Principal Oboe of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Titus is the first black oboist to receive tenure as a principal player in a major US symphony. During the interview, Titus discusses his path to Nashville, how race impacts orchestras as institutions, and how the audition process should be changed to ensure fairness of process.
Opus 55 - All American, All Black
All American music is Black music - even if people don't think so. Garrett and Scott explore this idea as it applies to the music of Shea Diamond, Megan Thee Stallion, Kane Brown, and many others. Titus Underwood, Principal Oboe of the Nashville Symphony, talks about Black enlightenment, his recent furlough, and the events that prevented his previous appearance on TRILLOQUY. Scott challenges an opinion by Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Garrett lays out his frustrations with Grammophone and NPR Classical.